Deaf awareness needs improvement

21st January 2013

The charity Action on Hearing Loss has said GPs need to "improve" their deaf awareness and help deaf patients during their consultations.

The charity's report, which included the experience of 607 people, found over a quarter (28%) said they had not been clear about a diagnosis during an appointment. Nearly two-thirds (66%) said this was because the GP did not face them. Chief executive of Action on Hearing Loss, Paul Breckell, said: "With deaf awareness training and simple changes, GPs can provide a much better service for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing and help avoid unnecessary follow-up appointments or the risk of exacerbated poor health."